When cutting wood with a chain saw, the user desires a quick and smooth cut. The user also desires to avoid binding of the saw chain during the cut.
Binding may occur when a portion of the saw chain which is not cutting the wood contacts the wood. For example, the sides of a raker teeth or a cutter teeth may rub against the sides of the wood within the kerf after the cut is made. The rubbing may be so severe as to stop the action of the saw chain. When the timber has a larger diameter than the width of the saw chain guide bar, the saw chain may also rub against the wood as it passes through the previously cut kerf, while the chain is running on the top side of the guide bar while the saw chain on the lower portion of the guide bar attempts to cut deeper into the kerf.
Many different configurations of saw chains have been used in the prior art to provide a saw chain having a smooth action which avoids binding of the saw chain during the cut. An example of a prior saw chain is disclosed in Lemery, U.S. Pat. No. 3,745,870. When cutting with this saw chain, two grooves are simultaneously cut in the kerf by a pair of opposed side slicers, the slicers being on the same cutter tooth and being mirror images of each other. The cutter tooth is followed by a raker tooth having a leading depth gauge. A saw chain having a pair of mirror-imaged slicers simultaneously cutting the kerf has a tendency to bind in the kerf on soft or wet wood. Further, cutting with this saw chain may impose excessive power requirements on the saw, resulting in overheating or damage to the motor. Moreover, saw chains of this type cannot acceptably execute cuts at an angle with respect to the wood grain.